Local residents protest Lake Okeechobee discharges during a news conference held by Bullsugar and the River Warriors in this February, 2016 photo.(Photo: HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)Buy Photo

People have "unfriended" one another, called each other dupes and fools and worse. And woe betide any non-profit clean water organization that dares to endorse the "wrong" candidate.

"Some of the most vicious social media attacks I have seen weren't against candidates, they were against bi-partisan clean water groups," said Troy Brown of Port St. Lucie, when I posted a question on Facebook asking about the division.

Case in point: Last week the Everglades Trust endorsed Ron DeSantis, the Republican candidate for governor who is running against Democrat Andrew Gillum.

DeSantis, the Trust said, has "walked the walk" when it comes to fighting for the Everglades and standing up to special interests like the sugar industry.

Cue the snarling.

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Gil Smart(Photo: JEREMIAH WILSON/TCPALM)

"Your organization is a joke," wrote one "fan" on the Trust's Facebook page.

"You are apparently as corrupt as (Gov. Rick) Scott and DeSantis," wrote another.

Because, see, making a reasoned endorsement of a candidate you think will do the best job addressing your specific interest means you're a corrupt partisan shill; only when you're partisan in the other direction can you be a fair judge.

I hate how, when we talk about politics these days, our collective IQ drops by about 100 points.

The biggest flashpoint has been the Florida District 18 race between GOP incumbent Brian Mast and Democratic challenger Lauren Baer.

Stuart-based enviro-activist group Bullsugar endorsed Mast, saying he has done a good job addressing our water problems and should be returned to office to further the momentum.

The group was swamped with objections along the lines of: You don't understand. Mast is a Republican.

Christopher P. Carey of West Palm Beach gave me the articulate version of this. He concedes Mast has done "a decent job of representing environmental interests in our area," but noted this conflicts with Mast's voting record on almost every other environmental issue.

Mast, he suggested, simply might be an opportunist, paying lip service and making the occasional gesture toward cleaner water in an attempt to wring as many votes from Democrats as possible.

Yet, he added, "Reasonable people should be able to see the others' position without malice."

Good luck with that.

The thing is, people who care about clean water should be feeling a little happier these days.

And there's legislation on the table — Mast's Stop Harmful Discharges Act, HR 6700, which Bullsugar helped develop — that would prohibit discharges containing toxic algae where the toxins could cause or worsen public health risks.

But even this has turned controversial. The Miccosukee have expressed concerns, saying the tribe was never asked for input before the bill was drafted. That's led some clean-water activists to "stand with the Miccosukee" and oppose the legislation.

And on and on.

I asked Mike Conner, a fishing captain and long-time clean water activist, if he thinks the acrimony will ease after the election. He said he's not sure.

"The atmosphere in this country has changed, everybody's on the defensive and everybody's voting party lines on everything," he said.

"I’m voting for some Republicans, some Democrats, I’m voting for an independent. I'm doing that — why can't you do that?" he asks rhetorically.

Well, because Democrats believe Democrats are always and forevermore better on the environment.

Because Republicans have been running the show in Tallahassee since forever and look what it's gotten us.

Because while clean water shouldn't be a partisan thing...it is.

Maybe that's inevitable, but it can only undermine the cause.

For united, the clean water movement can do big things.

Divided, it can only sink.

Gil Smart is a TCPalm columnist and a member of the Editorial Board. His columns reflect his opinion. Readers may reach him at gil.smart@tcpalm.com, by phone at 772-223-4741 or via Twitter at @TCPalmGilSmart.